10 May 2023

Elida Faith back to have another crack at Entsch

| Matt Nicholls
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Announced last week as the Labor candidate for the next federal election, Ms Faith said she had learnt a lot from the 2019 attempt and vowed to go one better this time around.

“It’s take two for me and I’m just really looking forward to getting stuck in again,” she told Cape York Weekly.

“You think you know your community fairly well but I learnt so much more when I was the candidate last time.

“Talking to businesses, people on the street … that’s going to put me in a really good place going into this candidacy.”

Ms Faith said she wanted to represent the Leichhardt electorate in Canberra, from Cairns all the way to the Cape and Torres Strait.

The federal election could be held any time between July and May next year, with the decision to be made by Scott Morrison.

“Who knows when; that’s the million dollar question,” said the Labor hopeful.

Cape York Weekly attended the announcement for Ms Faith’s candidacy in Cairns, led by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I think it’s time Warren retired,” she said at the press conference.

“We need new energy in this seat, a local who knows what locals want.

“I am a working mum, a wife and I’m passionate about our community.”

Ms Faith said social housing, especially in Indigenous communities, was firmly on her radar, as well as improved telecommunications in remote areas, pointing to the debacle in Lockhart River.

She encouraged Cape York residents to reach out if they had issues that needed attention.

Ms Faith credited her Centrelink career as the fire behind her second tilt at the federal seat.

“Working with some of Australia’s most vulnerable people every day, listening to stories of struggle is one of the reasons I am here today,” she said.

“I was a single mum, I have felt that struggle and it’s not a nice experience.

“We need to start rebuilding our community; we need affordable housing, affordable child care for every Far North Queenslander.”

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